Traffic Violations and Citations in Athens Alabama

If you do commit a traffic violation in Athens Alabama, you will receive a violation citation that will contain information on how to pay or challenge the traffic violation fine. Traffic violations in Athens Alabama are handled by the local traffic courts.  On the citation itself, you can obtain the contact information about the Athens Alabama traffic court where you must appear or where you can pay your fine. It is important that you note on the traffic ticket the "due date" for when you need to pay your fine or appear in court to challenge or plead guilty to your traffic violation.

Points System and License Suspension in Athens Alabama

If you incur an Athens Alabama traffic violation, the Athens Alabama Department of Public Safety's Driver's License Division ("DLD") will place points on your Athens Alabama driving record. Points for common traffic violations range from two points for making an improper turn, to six points for a charge of driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages in a manner that does not require immediate revocation of your Athens Alabama driving privileges. Listed below is a schedule that Athens Alabama's DLD follows for consideration of the suspension of your driver's license:

• 12-14 points within two years: 60 day suspension
• 15-17 points within two years: 90 day suspension
• 18-10 points within two years: 120 day suspension
• 21-13 points within two years: 180 day suspension
• +24 points within two years: 1 year suspension

Athens Alabama is relatively lenient with regard to retaining points on your driver's license,  and will remove points from your Athens Alabama driving record as soon as the traffic violation is two years old. However, the traffic violation itself will most likely remain on your Athens Alabama driving record.

Athens Alabama courts do not usually remove points or traffic violations from your driving record as a result of attending traffic school. However, Alabama state law authorizes individual counties to determine their specific rules regarding traffic violations and how they affect your driving record. Most Athens Alabama courts will consider dismissing your traffic violation altogether if you enroll in an Athens Alabama traffic school or a defensive driving program.

Defensive Driving and Traffic School in Athens Alabama

Athens Alabama courts in each county have jurisdiction over online traffic schools and online defensive driving schools. If you would like to participate in an online traffic school or an Athens Alabama online defensive driving program, please contact the court in the Athens Alabama County where you received the traffic violation.  Then, you can determine if the online traffic school that you would like to enroll in will satisfy Athens Alabama defensive driving program requirements. Or, you can show up to court on your "due date" and request the court to allow you to enroll in an online traffic school course. A helpful resource to determine if Athens Alabama courts are likely to accept your preferred online traffic school is to find out if the online defensive driving program follows National Safety Council guidelines, which Athens Alabama courts commonly defer to. Our online traffic school course does follow all of the guidelines of the National Safety Council. If an Athens Alabama court approves your enrollment in an online traffic school or online defensive driving program, it is important that you retain the completion certificate or receipt from your online traffic school program.  Then you will need to deliver it to the Athens Alabama county court that is overseeing your traffic violation before a judge can consider dismissing your traffic violation.

A Clear Driving Record in Athens Alabama

It is important to maintain an Athens Alabama driving record with no or as few traffic violations as possible for several reasons. First, you dramatically increase your chances of maintaining lower car insurance premiums by keeping your Athens Alabama driving record clear. By avoiding traffic violations on your Athens Alabama driving record, you help avoid the accompanying increase in your insurance premiums.

Mature Drivers Get Insurance Discounts in Athens Alabama

A good Athens Alabama driving record may even qualify you for an insurance discount. If you are an Athens Alabama Mature Driver, a driver over the age of 55, you need to contact your insurance provider to see if an Athens Alabama online traffic school course or online defensive driving program can lower your insurance premium.

Juvenile Drivers Get Insurance Discounts in Athens Alabama

Athens Alabama Juvenile Drivers, or those under the age of 18, need to talk to their insurance carriers to see if an online Athens Alabama driver improvement course can prevent costly increases in auto insurance, even prior to receiving a traffic violation.

In addition to high insurance costs, a clean Athens Alabama driving record helps to ensure that your driver's license is not suspended or revoked. In addition to these benefits and the obvious avoidance of paying costly citations, online traffic school helps you to master defensive driving methods that will help you better avoid citations and traffic accidents in the future.

List of Approved Traffic Schools in Athens Alabama

If you want to enroll in a traffic school or defensive driving course in person, rather than online, you should contact your local Athens Alabama DLD office for information on state-wide supported traffic schools, or call your local Athens Alabama Traffic Court to obtain a list of previously approved schools.